Implement clamp



1%?3 M. mmmmmww IMPLEMENT CLAMP Filed April 20, 1953 H i5 WWmmmmwmmmmmm United States Patent IMPLEMENT CLAMP George M. Kriegbaum, Homewood, Ill., assignor to International Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application April 20, 1953, Serial No. 349,861

6 Claims. (Cl. 97--198.1)

This invention relates to clamps such as those used for connecting together the parts of agricultural implements, and particularly to a cultivator clamp.

Cultivator shovels are usually mounted upon the lower end of a vertical standard and one or more of these shovel-bearing standards may be secured to a horizontal tool bar for mounting upon a supporting frame such as a tractor. Usually, however, the means for securing the standard to the tool bar is unsatisfactory because an earth. working implement such as a cultivator is subjected to considerable stress in operation and the parts quickly wear and become loose.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of an improved clamping structure for connecting one part of an implement to another.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved clamp, particularly adapted for connecting a tool standard to a tool bar to secure maximum rigidity of the parts with minimum wear while providing for easy adjustability to accommodate regulating the spacing of the cultivating elements to the required row spacing.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a clamp for cultivators or the like, means inherent in the clamp structure for multiplying the force applied to hold the parts together.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a simple unitary clamp for use on a tool bar having a plurality of similar clamps thereon, the clamp being so constructed as to be easily removable without the necessity of removing adjacent clamps.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation, partly in section of a clamp embodying the features of this invention applied to the connection of a vertical cultivator standard to a horizontal tool bar;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the clamping mechanism of this invention;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail, partly in section, of a portion of the clamp and the tool standard showing the relationship of the parts before the clamp has been .tightened, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail similar to Fig. 3 showing the relationship of parts when the clamp has been tightened to secure the parts together.

Referring to the drawings it may be observed that the numeral designates a horizontal tool bar, square in cross-section, and 11 a vertically extending tool standard, rectangular in section, and having secured at its lower end an earth penetrating cultivator shovel 12. The tool bar 10 is of the type that is suspended from a tractor or other support for carrying a plurality of tool standards such as the one shown at 11.

In order to secure these parts together with the forward face 13 of the tool standard 11 engaging the rear face of the tool bar 10, a clamp generally designated by the numeral 15 is provided. This clamp is U-shaped, having a transverse head portion 16 and laterally spaced rearwardly extending arms 17 spaced at their upper portion near the head 16 approximately the width of the tool bar 10 so that it may be received therebetween, and is adapted for mounting upon the tool bar in the square position thereof, that is, with two of its faces parallel to the ground.

The head 16 of the clamp is provided with an aperture 18 adapted to receive the threaded shank of a bolt 19 having a squared head 20. The threaded shank 19 is received in a threaded opening provided in a spacing block 21 adjacent the inner face of the head 16 between the arms 17 and the yoke or U-shaped member 15. The end of the threaded shank 19 of the bolt is adapted to engage the forward face 22 of the tool bar 10 and may be advanced or retracted relative to the head 16.

The rear or lower portion of each of the arms 17 is bent outwardly from a location medially of the ends of the arms, as indicated particularly well in. Figs. 1 and 3, and this lower or rear portion of the arms 17 is weakened by the provision of aligned slots 23 which are elongated and of greater dimensions than the tool shank 11, to slidably receive the latter with the forward face 13 of the tool shank or standard engageable with the face of the tool bar 10 opposite the bolt 19. Thus by advancing the bolt 19 in the head 16, the tool bar 10 is pressed against the standard 11. Furthermore, the outwardly bent rear portion of each of the arms 17 tends to be brought inwardly and straightened, exercising considerable pressure against the tool bar 10 as well as the standard 11.

The rear end of each of the arms 17 of the clamp is turned or rolled in an arc rearwardly and forwardly toward the head 16 and the terminal faces 24 are engageable with the rear face 25 of the standard 11. As is particularly clear from Fig. 3, the terminal faces 24 of the ends of the clamp are beveled in a plane substantially normal to the outwardly bent lower portion of the respective arms 17, and when the clamp is assembled the outer edge of each face 24 is in engagement with the rear face of the standard 11. However, upon tightening the bolt 19 and forcing the parts together, the pressure of the standard 11 against the terminal face 24 causes the rear or lower portions of the arms to be drawn inwardly until the beveled face 24 of each arm 17 becomes substantially flush with the rear edge 25 of the standard, increasing the frictional contact of the clamp therewith, so that the parts are held firmly in position with no likelihood of slippage thereof even under the severe shock conditions to which a cultivator shovel is: subject.

The operation of the improved mechanism for cultivators forming the subject matter of this invention should be clearly understood from the foregoing description. It might be further noted, however, that the front and rear edges of the standard 11 do not engage the ends of the slots 23 so that the clamp functions as a spring with respect to the bolt 19, placing tension thereon to maintain its position and prevent its becoming loosened, as occurs in ordinary clamping devices which undergo stresses to which agricultural implements are subjected. It should likewise be understood that the invention has been described in its preferred embodiment and that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. For use with agricultural implements and the like, a clamp for securing a beam to a standard comprising a U-shaped member having a transverse head portion and spaced arms adapted to slidably receive the beam therebetween near the head for adjustment of the clamp longitudinally thereof, said arms having elongate-d aligned slots v 3 formed therein to slidably receive the standard for adjustment relative" thereto; said" arms beingspaced' approximately the width of said beam and bent outwardly from a lo cation medially of its ends, the ends of said arms g'ro I qrwarm aaa rearwa'rc'lly' to a point'o'verlap 'n the slots with the' 'terminal'facesthereof engageable with thest an'dar d," andj'extensiblemeans'carried by thehea'd andieriga'geablewith beam, said'meansbeing;

extensib'l e' 'to'prejss the'beam' against the standard and the standard against "the terminal faces f said arms.

2'; The inventidnsefforth in claim 1, wherein the'tcrminal races of said arms engaging the standard'are beveled with respect tdthe adjac'ent edge of said standard and extend atan anglc'fto the standard before the extensible means is? actuatedto'tighten'the beain and standard The invention" set forth in claim 1, wherein the terminal faceso'flsaid arms engaging the standard are bevele'diina plane substantially normal to the plane of the outwardly bent portion of the respective of said arms;

4, The invention set' forth in claim 3, wherein the to slidably receive the beam therebetween near the head for adjustm'entofthe clamp longitudinally thereof, said arms having elongated aligned slots formed therein to slidably receive the standard for adjustment relative thereto, said arms being spaced approximately the width of said beam and bent outwardly from a location medially of its ends, the terminal faces of said arms being rolled to a point overlapping the slots and engageable with a face of the standard, exten'sible'm'eans" carried by the head and engageable with the beam'to'pr'es's thelatter against the standard andthestandard-against theiterminal faces of said arms, the force exerted by said extensible means being effective to urge the outwardly bent lower portion of said arriisinwardly.

6. The invention set-forth in claim" 5, wherein the terminal faces of the arms are beveled at such an angle that only the outer edges thereof engage the face of the standard but assume a position substantially parallel to the contact face of the standard when the outwardly bent lower portion of said'arms move inwardly diie'to actuation of said extensible means to tighten the clamp;

References Cited in the file of "this patent" UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,272,281 McCord July 9; 1918 1,463,353 White -Ji1ly'31, 1923 2,510,458 Blackwelder June 6', 1950' FOREIGN PATENTS 463,198 Germany July 25, 1928- 

